Iphis and Ianthe

Iphis and Ianthe

(page 316-321)

In this story, Iphis is born to a poor woman, who under orders from her husband must only allow a boy to live, if she gives birth to a girl then that girl must be destroyed. However, Telethusa (Iphis’ mother) has a vision which asks her to spare the child. Telethusa listens to the Gods and lies to her husband, telling him that she gave birth to a boy and then she gave the girl the name Iphis which could be a name for either sex. Iphis turns 13 and falls in love with Ianthe, a woman. “among the animals, no female wants a female!” Iphis pleads to the Gods in her confusion. Telethusa prays for Iphis on the dawn of her wedding and miraculously Iphis is turned into a man.
Does the story sound familiar? I’ll through out some recent generation translations Juwannah Man, The Hot Chick, Mrs. Doubtfire, among many others I forget, but the point I am trying to get across is what all these themes have in common, a dramatic gender role switch. We discussed Greek Comedy as a complete upheaval of society and as in Lysistrata with the powerful women, these characters assume roles not customary to their gender. Not a big surprise that all the movies that I listed were considered comedies. In fact, I could not think of a single title in which a gender role was switched and the situation wasn’t comical. However, Iphis and Ianthe does not go into the specifics of a gender role switch like the others; instead, it seems to give fuel more to the question of homosexuality. Iphis herself recognizes her love for Ianthe as unnatural, but it is not clear whether or not Iphis wishes to be a man. I wonder if the Greeks used this story as an explanation to same sex feelings or maybe they just had a fascination with unnatural love (the story before was of a brother/sister love relationship)